India Funeral and Cremation Service Market Overview, 2029

The funeral and cremation service market in India is undergoing a transformative shift, driven by evolving societal attitudes, urbanization, and a growing demand for personalized and environmentally sustainable end-of-life solutions. Right from the machinery to the infrastructure as well as the lack of organized entities for seamless coordination, India has been deprived of organizations that can make a difference. However, in the last few years, efforts have been made by young entrepreneurs who with an empathetic and scientific approach have tried to address this gap. Organized funeral services providers also referred to as deathcare startups have made quite the buzz and had mixed reception from the masses but the paradigms have started changing as more people sense the urgency for accountability and better practices. The ceremony helps with the mourning process as they help provide closure and gives an opportunity for people to say goodbye. According to Hindu death rituals, the dead body should remain at home or the place where the body is kept until cremation. The cremation or burial of the body will take place usually within 24 hours of the death. In recent times, this timeframe vary because the family members staying in far-off places and countries take long hours to reach the deceased person’s home. Funerals help family members, friends and common people to accept the reality of death. It gives sufficient time to the near and dear ones of the deceased to come to terms with and mourn for the deceased. Funerals help them in healing their sorrow and pain felt towards the demise of a beloved one. In India, funerals also help people to acknowledge the death of a beloved member and carry on their lives by accepting reality and the world without them. It also encourages you to recall the precious memories and time shared and spent with the deceased. Bharat Serums and Vaccines Limited is primarily known for its pharmaceutical products, Bharat Serums has diversified into the funeral services sector, offering comprehensive solutions that include the handling of cremation and other end-of-life services. Dignity Funerals India a branch of the UK-based Dignity Funerals, this company offers professional funeral services and is known for its high standards of care and personalized service. Cremation Solutions is specializing in modern and eco-friendly cremation options, Cremation Solutions provides innovative services that cater to a growing demand for more environmentally conscious end-of-life practices.

According to the research report "India Funeral and Cremation Services Market Overview, 2029," published by Bonafide Research, the India funeral and cremation services market is anticipated to grow at more than 5% CAGR from 2024 to 2029. Private players in the funeral sector are with the motive to coexist alongside public establishments, their rationale remains to provide an alternative option for people to choose from; their stakeholders are drawing parallels from the coexistence of private and public hospitals. The rise of private entities in India's funeral services space has allowed the integration of new technologies and state-of-the art infrastructure, along with stringent SOPs to ensure standardization across vendors. Amidst the covid horrors, anecdotes of many grief stricken families surfaced, entailing terrible experiences at crematoriums and multiple episodes of exploitation. The scope of work across emerging death care startups is diverse and innovative while being cost efficient for the masses. From 24x7 mortuary ambulance services to freezer box, cremation ground coordination, etc.., along with international repatriations, pet burials, grief counseling have gained significant demand in the market. Favorable factors such as price uniformity, accountability, faster turn-around-time of services, all-in-one packages are driving the growth of private last-rites organizations. Some players such have come forth with initiatives to revamp cremations infrastructure by installation of new machinery and increasing sustainability. Many entities are also going international to provide emergency services for distressed Indians (or people of Indian origins) in foreign countries. Back in the days, people would visit Shmashana (cremation ground) which is traditionally located near the rivers or on the river bank itself. The main intention behind this was to immerse the ashes into the flowing river. In recent times, as science and technology developed, electric crematoriums or burial grounds in specific places came into existence.

The cremation segment accounts for a majority share, as Hinduism is dominant in the country, prescribing cremation as a preferred last rite. A large market for cremation services is created with Hindus making up about 80% of the population. Further, this usually turns out to be a very practical option that families take up in most cases because cremation is usually cheaper than the requisites of a conventional burial. The relay race of pre-consultation funeral services shows tremendous growth in the Funeral Planning Services business through increased awareness and acceptance levels. There is more emphasis on this trend in urban areas, where lots of convenience and the emotional benefits of pre-planning funerals are likely to be realized. Nuclear families and a rising population of elderly people living alone have also been fueling the growth of the segment, as these people want to save their families from the trouble related to their funerals. Transportation service refers to a service involving the transportation of the body from the place of death to the crematorium or burial ground. It is, therefore, an integral part and a direct derivative of the overall death pool and the rising funeral service requirement. This is available in India from organized players, as well as the local, unorganized service provider. The Body Preparation and Interment segment involves preparation services like embalming, cosmetic preparation, and the actual burial or entombment. In India, this segment is much smaller than in Western countries, because cremation is in wide use there and religious and cultural traditions often discourage embalming. "Others" include memorial end-of-life services related to grief counseling, repatriation of human remains, and associated product merchandising through the sale of such items as urns, shrouds, and garlands. This segment is growing in direct proportion to the fact that families are seeking to increasingly individualize and personalize the process of putting their loved ones to rest.

The Immediate Need segment is the one currently dominating in the market in India. This is the market segment that avails its products or services to those families who need immediate funeral or cremation needs as a result of sudden death or unexpected death. This is attributed to cultural and religious beliefs that give much emphasis to the need for prompt disposal of the dead body, usually within 24 hours. For example, Hinduism, the dominant religion in India, requires cremation to occur as soon after death as possible. Additionally, a general lack of awareness and acceptance of pre-planning causes the immediate need segment to take the lead. Most families have not planned ahead for these events. Consequently, more immediate services are required. Though at a slower pace, this pre-planned segment has begun to grow according to various emerging trends in India, as against the growth witnessed in Western countries. There is a gradual increase in awareness among urban Indians about the need and benefits for pre-planning their funerals or cremations. Pre-planning will not only allow a person to make various personal choices with regard to the kind of end-of-life services they want but also eliminate the emotional and financial burden on families and ensure that their wish is carried out. This may also be driven by rising nuclear families and increasing single senior citizens who look toward preplanning of funerals to relieve their family members from the pressure of taking care of funeral-related activities. An increasing number of nuclear families with single senior citizens are looking towards preplanning to relieve other family members from the pressure of funeral-related activities.

The Offline segment currently dominates the market. Traditional funeral service providers, crematoria, and burial grounds provide services arranged in person. Offline channel dominance is attributed to deeply imbue cultural and religious practices that surround death and funeral rites in India. Many families prefer the personal touch and the emotional support an offline service gives them in times of their bereavement. Moreover, lack of awareness and trust in online services among the older generation and in rural areas helped the offline segment to remain at the top position. Also, established infrastructure and local networking by offline service providers play a big role in offline services dominance. The online segment is growing rapidly, encouraged by the rapid growth of internet access and digital literacy of Indians. This increase has also been more significant in urban areas, where the number of tech-savvy consumers looking for ease, transparency, and efficiency has been higher. Online platforms provide the ability for families to contrast services, prices, and reviews in order to make better decisions. Moreover, the pandemic has accelerated the use of online services, while social distancing measures ordered remote arrangements for funeral services and virtual memorial services. The growth in the online segment is also fueled by the increasing number of nuclear families and urban migrants who might not have immediate access to traditional support systems. Online services provide them with a convenient way to arrange funerals and get grief support.



Considered in this report
• Historic year: 2018
• Base year: 2023
• Estimated year: 2024
• Forecast year: 2029

Aspects covered in this report
• Funereal Service market Outlook with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

By Provider
• The Funeral Director
• Embalming Services
• Mortician Services
• Funeral Homes With Crematories
• Visitation Or Viewing Services
• Graveside Committal
• Selling Funeral Supplies
• Transporting The Deceased

By Service
• Cremation
• Funeral Planning Services
• Transportation
• Body Preparation And Interment
• Others

By Application
• Immediate need
• Pre-Planned

By Distribution Channel
• Online
• Offline

The approach of the report:
This report consists of a combined approach of primary and secondary research. Initially, secondary research was used to get an understanding of the market and list the companies that are present in it. The secondary research consists of third-party sources such as press releases, annual reports of companies, and government-generated reports and databases. After gathering the data from secondary sources, primary research was conducted by conducting telephone interviews with the leading players about how the market is functioning and then conducting trade calls with dealers and distributors of the market. Post this; we have started making primary calls to consumers by equally segmenting them in regional aspects, tier aspects, age group, and gender. Once we have primary data with us, we can start verifying the details obtained from secondary sources.

Intended audience
This report can be useful to industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations, and organizations related to the Funereal Service industry, government bodies, and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing and presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.